In this meditation, I want you to explore with me what the writer of Hebrews 10:22-25 (NKJV) has to say.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And, let us consider one another to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I cannot emphasize too strongly the significance of these verses for each of us who know Jesus personally. The writer uses the words “LET US” three times to highlight three different responsibilities we each have.
1. We have a responsibility towards God Himself as seen in verse 22, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
a. We must be conscious when we come – we must come with a true heart and not an empty profession of faith.
b. We need to come confidently. In Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) we read “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
c. We must come with cleansed hearts. Our God is holy and He wants us to be holy. Our prayer should be that of David in Psalm 139: 23-24 (NKJV)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.”
In Psalm 66:18 (NKJV), we read, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me.”
So, coming to God means coming to Him with clean hearts.
2. Next, let us consider our responsibility to ourselves. In Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV), “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Folks, we need to remember that through Christ, we are children of God. We are also citizens of heaven. In the time that the writer of Hebrews had in mind, the Christians were feeling the pressure of religion, society, the government, and culture. We need to remember what Jesus said in John 15:19 (NKJV) – “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this, the world hates you.”
It is so easy to give in to the pressures of the world, but the writer says that because we are of Christ, there is no room for wavering or turning back. We must always have a moving forward mindset.
3. Now, let us consider our responsibility to others. In Hebrews 10:24 (NKJV) we read “And let us consider one another to stir up love and good works.” God never intended for us to function independently. The church is a family and Christ is the Head. We need to help and encourage each other. We need to motivate each other as we live in this sin-darkened world. This calls for interdependence.
4. Lastly, I see in these verses that we have a great responsibility towards each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV) “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I love what Dr. John Phillips wrote in this regard. “We need to exhort one another, stir one another up, keep the fires of the Holy Spirit burning brightly. We need to be kept close together so that Christian warmth can be communicated back and forth from one member of the fellowship to another. And, what a tragedy it is when we begin to stop attending the gatherings of those of like precious faith. We soon begin to lose our fervor. We start to cool off toward the things of God until at last, for all the evidence there is of life, we are no different from the worldly, unsaved people around us.”
Wow! What a challenge he has set before us. We need the fellowship, encouragement, hope, and spiritual warmth we feel when we all come together.
I realize there are some, who for health reasons, may not be able to attend regularly. But for those who can, our LORD wants to see us coming together regularly.
For His Glory, Pastor Leonard
